Searchers recovered the bodies of a missing Army veteran and her dog in the southern California desert Friday, the woman’s brother told a local news station.

Fox 5 San Diego reported that the remains of Julia Jacobson and her box terrier, Boogie, were found in rural Riverside County. Ontario, Calif. police said a cadaver dog helped discover the shallow grave containing the bodies just south of Interstate 10.

Julia Jacobson and Boogie had not been seen since Sept. 2. Her SUV was found near her San Diego home with her keys in the ignition less than a week later. Detectives said forensic analysis of the car led police to conclude that she had been murdered.

Jacobson’s ex-husband, Dalen Ware, was arrested at his home in Phoenix on Oct. 13 and faces a murder charge. Ware’s attorney told The San Diego Union-Tribune in an email that he showed investigators “the place he had buried” Jacobson without the promise of a plea bargain.Dalen WareAP
A motive for Jacobson’s murder has not been made public.

Jon Jacobson said the family received the news that his sister’s body had been recovered during a memorial service in North Dakota Friday.

“The church was absolutely packed and halfway through the service, we got a call from the detective in San Diego letting us know her remains had been found and they were quite confident it was her,” he told Fox 5 San Diego.

Jacobson served two tours of duty in Iraq and was employed at a 7-Eleven corporate office.